


Lost Girl

by Violastar3



Category: Original Work, Peter Pan & Related Fandoms, Peter Pan (1953)
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Fear, Fear of Flying, Mental Health Issues, Running Away
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-24
Updated: 2020-06-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:53:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24885649
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Violastar3/pseuds/Violastar3
Summary: What if you could leave your adult worries behind you for a day, and be a kid again? Wouldn’t it be great? Or would it?Isabel ponders this question and receives an unexpected visitor...
Comments: 2
Kudos: 1





	Lost Girl

**Author's Note:**

> Just a one-shot that touches on some things that are pretty close to me. I might expand it, but I'd like to just leave it as is.

_What if you could leave your adult worries behind you for a day, and be a kid again? Wouldn’t it be great? Or would it?_

As I lay in bed pondering this question, I laughed at my feet sticking out over the end. _Look at how old and big you’ve gotten. They’d never take me as a lost boy now._

I sighed. I wanted it so bad, the opportunity to leave my worries behind me, and play again, like I did when I was a kid. Oh, to climb without judgement, to run and actually enjoy it, to bike and have imaginary adventures with my friends! Those days were so fun. Where had they gone? Why couldn’t I have them back?

Isabel! You need to grow up! You live on your own now. If you don’t take care of yourself, then who will? Your parents won’t, especially if they don’t know a lot your struggles. You need to make sure you have a place to stay, good food to eat, classes that will further your education. You have to stay on top of these things. It’s your life, your responsibility, and your greatest wish. You need to take care of those things.

But what if I don’t want to? Ok, yes, I want my education. I want to grow and progress, and I can’t do that without my education. But... it’s hard. There are a lot of challenges that i didn’t think would happen to me that did.

I just want to be a kid again. Is that too much to ask? Yes.

Unfortunately it is.

I heard a soft tap at my window. I froze. There weren’t any trees outside my apartment window, so I knew it wasn’t a branch. It tapped again. It was definitely someone right by the window. Thrown rocks don’t sound like that.

“Sara.” I whispered. “Sara, did you hear that?”

She stirred, but didn’t wake up. I guess it’s just me.

It tapped again, so I sat up and peaked through the blinds. A dark figure was silhouetted in the light from the next building over. It was definitely not an adult.

“Who are you?” I whispered.

“You know who I am.” I gulped. I thought I knew, but wasn’t that impossible? “It’s only impossible if you say so. I’m still here. Just waiting for you.”

“Why me? Why not a kid? Aren’t I too old for you to take me?”

“So that’s why. I see. That isn’t a problem. At least, not one that can’t be easily fixed.”

“You mean... I... can come?” I held my breath.

“Of course you can. I’ve been waiting for you for a long time.” I breathed out suddenly. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “All you have to do is open to window.”

I paused. Was this actually real? Was this just a crazy dream? I pinched my cheek, and mentally scolded myself. Of course this is real! I believe. And I’m coming.

I quietly got out of bed, yanked the blinds open, and listened for my roommate to wake up. Still nothing from her. The silhouette was still there in the window; a boy not much older than twelve. I paused, wanting to remember this moment. Then slowly, I opened the window.

A rush of cold air swept in, bringing with it a wild rush of adrenaline. I took a step forward, let out another deep breath, and took his hand.

That’s when it all started; and when everything I thought I knew ended.

——

“Open your eyes! It’s way more fun!”

I was gripping his hand very tightly, and has my eyes firmly shut. “I’ve had dreams where I’m short of floating or bouncing, and they kind of freaked me out!”

He laughed. “That’s silly! Besides, we’re too high up to see the ground, so that shouldn’t be a problem.”

I peeked, and found out he was right. We glided along above the clouds, going fast enough to disrupt them. I hadn’t laughed like this in a long time. This was so much fun!

I noticed that we were gaining in altitude, because my ears popped every few seconds. “How much higher?” I asked.

“Still quite a bit. We’ve got to get up to the second star to the right!”

“Straight on till morning, right? Because if we’re headed East, we’re gonna hit the Tetons!”

“Relax, Isabel, we’ll be fine!” He said it so nonchalantly, as if it was nothing; then again, he was twelve. Boys tended to not think through too many consequences.

“Hey, you know, you’re more than welcome to start flying whenever.”

“Wait, I’m not?”

“Nope. Any time you’re ready, I’ll let go. You’ll be fine! You’ve always had it in you.”

“What??? Wait, Faith, trust, pixie dust? Isn’t that it? Where’s the pixie dust? Where’s Tinker Bell?”

“She’s been here the whole time! You’re just not believing enough.”

I closed my eyes, trying to hear the jingling bells. I thought of the various books on Neverland that I’d read, where Priscilla asked the children to clap if they believed in fairies. I clapped, telling myself that I do believe. _Wait… that means I just let go._

Air was spinning around me so fast, I lost my breath. I was falling. Did I not believe hard enough? Was I not thinking of a happy enough thought? Perhaps that was it! My mind turned to the sunrise I watched on my favorite mountain. The simple beauty of it made my heart swell up, and I beamed. The air started slowing down, and I opened my eyes. I was only a few yards above the ground. _That was close. Holy cow, I almost died._

“That was an epic save! Nice one!”

I floated down a bit, and Peter stuck his face right next to mine.

“What’s wrong? Aren’t you having fun?”

“Yeah, it’s just...”

“What?”

“I almost died just now. I almost didn’t think of a happy thought in time.” I sniffed. “What if I can’t make it there? What if I chicken out again?”

Peter swung around, like he was standing in front of me, and smiled. “We all have fears. But can’t let them control our lives. When we give in, they win. When we push through them, we can conquer them every time.” Then he stuck his hand out. I held mine out, curious to see what he was doing. He then placed several marbles in my hand. “Think of every thing that makes you sad, scared, or nervous. Put them in here, and then you can leave your fears behind you!”

I looked down at the marbles. There were only a handful of them. So few. He honestly didn’t know just how many things were keeping me from soaring. Money, classes, housing, scholarships, work, family, friends, my responsibilities to my a cappella club… Just going to the store, worrying about my mental health, fear of not living up to the potential everyone sees in me, spiders, snakes, bugs, big dogs... Everything seemed to come spilling out, but the further back I went in my memory, the fewer fears I seemed to have. I was so carefree back then. What had changed?

I felt Peter’s hand on mine. “You can stop now.” I opened my eyes, and saw that the marbles had multiplied in my hands, and had started to tumble out. He held a few in his hands as well. “I had no idea that grownups had so many fears.”

“I don’t know about other grownups, but I sure feel like I have a lot.”

That was when he grinned. “Not any more.” He held out a small leather pouch, and put the marbles inside. “Now it’s your turn.”

I let the marbles slip through the hands into the pouch. I started feeling lighter, amazed at how good it felt to let go of my fears. The weight was being lifted, and I felt so happy. I don’t think I’d felt so light in a long time.

“Better?”

“Better.” It was my turn to grin. Then I froze. “Is that my voice?”

“Yep. It’s a new you. Are you happy?”

“I... think so.” I grinned. I couldn’t feel those weights of adulthood holding me back anymore. “Do I look any different?”

“Follow me and you’ll find out!” He zoomed straight up. I thought about the thrill of my piano pieces, and shot up right behind him. I laughed again, and we flew off into the night.

Toward Neverland.

——

Sara awoke with a start. The window in her private room was open, which was odd. _I never open that. Weird._ She glanced over at the empty bed. _Empty as usual. Wait… empty?_ She shook her head, trying to remember something. _There shouldn’t be anyone else in the room, right? Right?_ Wrapping one of her blankets around her, she got off her bed to close the window. On the windowsill, sat a small leather pouch. _Ok, I know I didn’t put that there._ She grabbed the bag, and gently opened the drawstring.

“Marbles? Ok, what’s going on?” Sara was worried now.

A knock came at her door, causing Sara to jump. Katie, her roommate poked her head around the frame. “Hey, I heard you moving around. I just got back from work, and I know you’re never up right now. What’s up?

Sara held up the pouch. “My window was open, and I found this pouch of marbles on the sill.”

“Weird… they’re not yours?”

“Nope. I mean, I could use them in my classroom, but I’d feel bad knowing they belonged to someone else.”

“Yeah, same. Huh. Hey, where’s Isabel?”

“Who?”

Katie blinked, and gave Sara an odd look. “What do you mean, who’s Isabel? You guys have been best friends forever? She overrode her off-track to room with you? That Isabel?”

Sara’s head started pounding. _Why can’t I remember my best friend?_ Then it clicked.

“Oh, that Isabel. I wanna say something came up and she moved out. Something with her family…”

“She just up and left? Without telling anyone?”

“I think so… she didn’t tell me much.”

“Ok, wow… that’s a bummer.” Katie shook her head, confused too. “I would have thought that she’d say something… Huh…”

Both girls shuffled their feet, knowing the conversation was over, but not knowing how to end it.

Sara broke the silence. “Well, I’ve gotta get up early tomorrow.”

“Yeah, same. Good night.”

“Good night.”

Katie closed the door, leaving Sara alone again. She considered the marbles in her hand, and gave them a small toss. They felt heavier than normal marbles, but maybe that was because she was tired. She shrugged, and tossed them on the desk. She crawled into bed, and put on some music to help her sleep. Some gentle old Disney classics would take her mind off everything.

She drifted off to sleep listening to “The Second Star to the Right” from the old Peter Pan movie, a pleasant smile etched softly onto her face.


End file.
